Fire Emblem: Ignition
by Carr011crow
Summary: The years following the war were peaceful. Chrom took his place at the throne as the rightful Exalt of Ylisse. The continent saw an age of peace as Plegia reconstructed their country, accepting reality now that the Fell Dragon had been defeated. But a new threat is upon Chrom and his remaining companions.
1. Chapter 1

**I Do Not Own Fire Emblem Or Most Of The Characters Within This Story**

* * *

The years following the war were peaceful. Chrom took his place at the throne as the rightful Exalt of Ylisse. The continent saw an age of peace as Plegia reconstructed their country, accepting reality now that the Fell Dragon had been defeated. The new king worked hard to destroy the grudges that his people held against any worshipper of Naga. Many of the extreme Grimleal still see the Halidom of Ylisse as an enemy, but the country as a whole seemed to have forgiven and forgotten.

* * *

Chrom sat impatiently, trying to read a message from Khan Flavia. However, he was too distracted to focus on his work; he was expecting some important information any minute now. Besides, Flavia would have come in person, or at least sent a messenger if there were a situation.

Chrom's advisor walked in, allowing Chrom to excuse himself from his work. He stood and walked up to his advisor.

Ricken had matured so much during the war. He seemed so much older now, although it had only been about three years since the end of the war.

"Cordelia came back without any luck." Ricken looked down as he said this. He knew Chrom would be disappointed. "She claims that he wasn't in any of the places you suggested."

Chrom sighed and turned around. He walked back over to his desk and sat down. He glanced back up at Ricken. "Thank you Ricken. Please give my thanks to Cordelia as well. She has been more than helpful to me in these last few years and I could never repay her for what she's done for me." He paused then spoke again. "I hope you realize how invaluable you've been to me as well."

Ricken's face lit up when he heard this. It wasn't uncommon to receive a compliment from the Exalt, but Chrom's approval was all he had wanted for almost his whole life. It was still very special to him. "Chrom, what I do for you is but nothing compared to what you do for the people of this country.

"Even so, your job is not to assist in my personal endeavors," Chrom insisted. "yet you have always been so loyal to me; and for that I am very grateful."

"I don't see this as just some errand the Exalt has sent me on." Ricken suddenly became a bit more defensive. "Robin was the best tactician that Ylisse has ever seen. Searching for him is not only a favor to you, but I see it as a service to our country." Chrom was speechless. He seemed ready to protest but Ricken wasn't quite finished. "And don't forget that he was our friend too, Chrom. All of us saw him as a friend—Cordelia, Sumia, Lissa. We would all do anything to see his return."

Chrom was silent. He rarely heard such things from Ricken. "Then I am sorry if I offended you. It certainly does go without saying that you are irreplaceable to me Ricken."

Ricken sighed. "You don't need to apologize to me." The door opened, and Sumia entered the room.

Sumia looked at Ricken. "I hope I'm not interrupting." She made eye contact with Chrom. "I'm sorry Ricken, but could you give my husband and I a moment?"

"Of course milady." Ricken answered before walking toward the door. He left the room and continued to walk down the hall until he found a room that he had become all too familiar with over the years. He walked in.

Ricken looked around the room. Lissa, Cordelia, and Sully were all sitting around a table in the center of the room. They all looked up at him as he entered. Cordelia seemed exhausted; yet she was still there. She was the first of them to speak up. "How did he take it?"

"He'll be okay." Ricken would never worry Cordelia by telling her how disappointed Chrom was. "He did tell me to thank you though."

"He doesn't need to thank me; it's my job." She said before standing up.

Ricken chuckled. "Don't worry, that's exactly what I told him."

She nodded. "Well I need to go rest up. If anyone needs me, I'm just going down to check the pegasi and then I'll probably be in my room for the rest of the night."

Sully stood up and stopped her from leaving. "Just get some sleep. I've taken care of horses; I can go make sure the pegasi are alright."

"No Sully, it's fine. I'd rather just do it myself. It's not that I don't trust you. I completely do. But I would like to be down there in case any messages come in. I must admit I'm a bit worried about Stahl."

Sully chuckled, still blocking cordelia's path. "I wouldn't worry. He's one of the best sparring partners I've ever had. I'm sure he's kicking arse over there."

Cordelia didn't look convinced. "Still, I would like to be aware if something were to happen."

"Alright, I understand. Just let me come with you. You'll get done quicker and I'll feel better."

Cordelia nodded and the two of them left, leaving Ricken and Lissa. Lissa watched them leave, and once she was sure they were gone, she spoke up. "Where is Stahl? I hadn't heard anything about this."

Ricken moved to sit at the table with Lissa. "We received a message from a village just outside of Ylisstol. It seems that a small naval fleet has attacked there. Chrom sent Stahl to check it out. It doesn't seem like much of a threat though; I wouldn't be worried."

Lissa bit her lip and looked down into her tea. "Where did they come from?"

Ricken finally took his eyes off of Lissa, looking down at his hands. "We're not sure. That's what we're hoping Stahl can find out."

The princess nodded, then drank from her tea. "It's cold now," she said with a stony face.

"Lissa, are you okay?" Ricken looked back into her eyes.

She finally looked up at him, meeting his eyes. "I just don't think I can handle another war." Her eyes began to swell up with tears. "I can watch anymore friends go down in battle!"

Ricken was taken aback by the shouting, but he quickly recovered. He knew how to talk to Lissa. "That won't happen again anytime soon, Lissa. I told you this fleet doesn't even seem like much of a problem."

"The Grimleal weren't much of a threat either until Validar took over!"

"I promise you that nothing will be as big a threat as Grima. Nothing could ever do as much damage as that beast. You've seen the worst, Lissa."

The princess had tears streaming down her face now. Ricken reached over and grabbed her hand. She looked up into his eyes once more. He smiled and squeezed her hand. Lissa couldn't help but smile back at him, though she was far from relaxed.

* * *

Sully and Cordelia had just about finished feeding the pegasi. Cordelia was paying extra attention to her own pegasus, making sure it was okay after such a tiring expedition.

"See, these guys are no different from the horses." Sully was pleased with herself for managing to do something unfamiliar to her.

"Thank you Sully. I'd like to finish up here, but I'm not sure I have the energy for it. Would you mind taking care of the last few?"

"Not at all!" Sully answered, walking over to her next pegasus. She gestured for Cordelia to leave. "You go get some sleep."

"Thanks, I will." Cordelia began to walk away from the stables. She stopped when she saw a pegasus trying to land there. "I was sure they were all there…" She wasn't sure who this rider was at all. However, she was certain that it was an inexperienced rider. They were having quite a hard time getting to the ground, and they were all over the place. When they finally landed, Cordelia saw a familiar face. They looked very scrambled from the flight. "What are you doing here?"

* * *

Sumia fiddled with her fingers. She didn't like to see Chrom so upset. She had seen too many days when Chrom would just isolate himself from anybody else. She knew that he regretted letting Robin make the final blow, but she had no idea how to get him to stop blaming himself. She wouldn't leave him alone, not today. She would never leave his side in a time like this. She wanted nothing more than to get Chrom's mind off of Robin, even if it meant using more bad news to distract him.

"I didn't want to tell you this, but you need to know. I received a message from Stahl before Cordelia arrived. He says that he may need help; it seems that more ships have joined in the fight." She stopped to see how Chrom was handling this. He had no visible emotion. She decided to continue. "I wouldn't tell Cordelia if I were you. She's awfully worried about Stahl. She would go to his aid in a heartbeat, but she is by no means fit for such a battle just yet."

Chrom considered what Sumia had just told him. He wanted to prevent this from escalating at all costs. "Right, well—"

He was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Yes?" He asked, slightly irritated from all of the information he had received today.

Cordelia and Sully lead a familiar pink-haired friend into the room.

"Olivia?" Sumia was shocked to see the dancer here. "Is there a problem in Regna Ferox?"

Olivia looked to Sumia. "Yes…Khan Flavia sent me. She requests the assistance of Ylisse." She looked to Chrom, making sure he could hear her. "A large naval fleet has attacked us from the North. We thought it was under control, but Khan Basilio is hurt…badly. If you will, we need your help as soon as it is available."

All eyes were on Chrom. In a time like this, Chrom would have looked to Robin. The role of tactician had somehow fallen onto his shoulders. "Of course Ferox will have our support, although I'm not sure how much we can help. We have also been attacked by a naval fleet. Olivia, do you know where your enemies hail from?"

"I-I'm not sure. I left for help as soon as things got serious. I even took a pegasus to get here faster. I'm not a very good rider…but I knew this was important."

"Well I'll have to go personally." Chrom looked around the room. He expected his companions to protest. But they all knew that Chrom would need to lead them if they planned to survive up there. "I'll bring Ricken and Lissa. I'll need Frederick by my side as well."

Cordelia seemed content with this plan. "Great, when do we leave?"

"Immediately, but you're not coming Cordelia. You need at least a day's rest. You can join us only after you are ready."

"I can fight now, Chrom. If you need me, I'll be there for you."

"No! You'll only get yourself killed if you aren't prepared!" Chrom had risen from his seat.

Cordelia nodded in defeat. Chrom turned to Sumia next. "Sumia, you aren't coming either. Lucina needs her mother here with her. She's too young to lose you."

Sumia nodded in agreement, although she felt the same way about Chrom. But she knew that Ferox needed him as well.

"Sully please stay here for a moment?" Chrom looked to the only one that hadn't spoken up yet. "Cordelia, please go get some rest. And Sumia, could you please show Olivia where she can stay until we are ready to go?" Sumia nodded and lead everyone out of the room.

"What do you need, Chrom?" Sully was curious to see why Chrom would want to speak to her alone.

"I need you to fight alongside Stahl. He needs help over there. As much as I need you in the fight at Ferox, I think Stahl might need you more." Chrom looked into Sully's eyes to see where she was with this plan.

She nodded. "He and I always made a great team. I'll gladly help him. And when it's safe over there, I'll bring him to come meet you up in Ferox."

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear." Chrom smiled at Sully

She smiled back. "I'll leave right away. Good luck up there." With that she left, closing the door behind her.

Chrom sat back down with a sigh. "This has been too much for one day." He put his fingers through his hair and prepared to tell the others."

* * *

**Me: Okay guys, this is my first fanfic. Please review so I know if I should write more of this. I'm not really sure about any pairings just yet, but PM if you have any suggestions. Okay well, tell me how you like it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I Do Not Own Fire Emblem Or Most Of The Character Within This Story  
**

* * *

Ricken was in the library, where the mage he was looking for was sure to be. It was a rather large library, filled with hundreds of tomes, narratives, and even children's stories. It was so large, in fact, that Ricken had begun to doubt he knew where he was anymore. Looking around, all he could see were tall bookshelves. He became uncomfortable rather quickly; he never liked to feel small, and that's exactly what the overwhelming size of the room had done to him.

Ricken couldn't help but look up to the tops of the towering bookshelves as he walked down the endless corridors. He wondered why anyone would enjoy their time in such a puzzling place. Then again, Miriel was never really the average person. She had focused less and less on field experiments throughout the first few months following the war. She lost her creativity and started to rely on past researches conducted by others. It would be surprising if she weren't here in the library.

Ricken stopped to rest, leaning on the side of one of the bookshelves. He took a deep breath and focused on the titles of books to distract him from the vast space within the rows of books. "Make Him Fall for You in a Fortnight? I'm in the wrong section; Miriel would never be reading this stuff."

"I actually have read that one." A voice came from the other side of the bookshelf.

Ricken, already anxious from the size of the room, gasped and fell down. "Miriel?! Is that you?" He stood up to find Miriel looking through a gap in the books at him. She looked the same as Ricken remembered her. "You actually have read this book?"

"It isn't very useful information, but I have never passed up the opportunity to study social interactions."

Ricken couldn't help but chuckle at the irony. "You haven't changed much Miriel." He looked away, trying to remember his purpose. "Oh! Miriel, Ferox has asked for Ylisse's help with a naval fleet that's attacking them from the north. I was wondering if you might come with us. You used to be such a crucial member of Chrom's army."

Miriel pondered over her options for only a moment. "I'm afraid I'm through fighting with the Shepherds, Ricken. I've more practical tasks to perform here."

"Come on Miriel! You have to have read nearly every book in this place; it couldn't hurt to get back onto the battlefield again."

"Please explain to me how I'd be better off fighting rather than securely conducting research here."

"Okay, fine! Maybe it isn't exactly safer, but it is better for you. You can't keep yourself locked up in this library your whole life!"

"I have no intention of doing such a thing. I'll finish as much research as is available to me here in Ylisse, and I'll move on."

Ricken sighed. He felt like he had lost; like there was no way to convince her anymore. But after a moment of silence, he looked up and back at Miriel. "Miriel, what's the point of all this research if you don't even plan to share it with the world?"

For the first time throughout the conversation, Miriel seemed to have no answer. "I-I suppose…I hadn't considered exactly what to do with this knowledge."

Ricken looked pleased. "You apply what you've learned to help us. Use your knowledge for a good cause."

Miriel wouldn't meet Ricken's eyes. "I can't believe I forgot such a vital piece of the research." She stared at her hands, thumbing through the pages of the book she's been holding. "You can tell Chrom that I'll be accompanying him on his mission." She turned and walked away before Ricken could say another word. He tried to follow but became dizzy once more and lost her.

* * *

Chrom stood up and walked to the nearest window. He had just finished writing to old allies for help. He looked out over the entirety of Ylisstol. He knew the whereabouts of very few of his old allies; many of them had gone off on their own soon after the war.

A knock came on the door. Chrom expected that he would have many visitors before he departed. "Come in," he said without averting his gaze from the window. The door opened, and Cordelia walked in.

"Chrom, the pegasus knights are ready to accompany you to Ferox." Cordelia stood tall, although there appeared to be something troubling her. "I would also like to say that while I strongly disapprove of your decision to go without me, I will respect it." Her eyes drifted toward the ground.

Chrom turned to look at her and sighed. "Thank you for saying that." He paused. "Cordelia, I understand why you want to come along for this." He walked over to her without breaking eye contact. "I've thought about this a lot since we received the information of the attack and I'm sure you'll disapprove of my new decision even more: you and the pegasus knights will stay here in Ylisstol."

Cordelia stepped back. "B-but our job is to protect you! What good are we if we're sitting here while your off fighting on your own?!"

"Your job is not to protect me! Your job is to help me protect Ylisse!"

Cordelia was taken aback by the sudden shouting. "How am I helping Ylisse by waiting here for you to defeat the enemy?"

Chrom sighed again. "This new enemy may be more of a threat than we realize. If they're attacking Ylisse and Ferox, their numbers may be too great for our offensive fighters. If they get through to Ylisstol, I'm counting on you to defend it."

Cordelia was shocked to hear such doubt come from Chrom. "D-do you really feel that that may happen?"

"I'm not sure…but I am scared."

* * *

Sumia walked through a field of training knights, down a path that lead to a small hut. Many of the knights stopped their training to show their respect to their queen. All of the attention made her a bit nervous, causing her to stumble two or three times before finally reaching the hut at the center of the field. She knocked on the door and entered without waiting for a response. She saw Ricken giving Frederick and another knight she'd never seen before some sort of battle plans. At her entry, they all looked up from their plans.

"Sumia…did you need something?" Ricken seemed lost; it was rare for her to visit the training grounds without Chrom. Sumia failed to answer, her eyes drifting toward the stranger. Ricken followed her gaze and looked to Frederick, who had also noticed the Queen's staring.

"My apologies, Milady. This is Ivan; he's one of my best recruits." Frederick explained, clearing his throat.

Ivan looked into the Sumia's eyes; his face showing feelings of both pride and nervousness. He stood up. "I-it's so great to meet you, Milady."

Sumia nodded to him. He seemed so young for Frederick to trust him so much. He was slightly taller than she was herself, though he had a slightly boyish face with short, spiky blonde hair. He looked a bit familiar to her, though she couldn't think of where she'd met him before. "Very nice to meet you, Ivan." She paused, glancing back and forth between the three of them. "I hate to interrupt, but do you think I could speak to Ricken and Frederick privately?"

Ivan nodded quickly and walked out of the hut. Sumia looked back and forth between Ricken and Frederick. "I…just wanted to see you both before you left…" She trailed off for a moment, seemingly nervous about something. "Well…I also wanted to ask a favor of you. This is so very selfish of me to ask…and I know I don't even need to ask…but…but please make sure Chrom comes home safe." Sumia was fidgeting with her fingers, yet still maintaining eye contact with them.

"Milady, you need not ask for milord's safety; it is my top priority at all times." Frederick assured her.

"I know that, just please keep him safe in case he tries anything stupid." Frederick nodded and Sumia turned to Ricken. "Ricken, will you please make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. He actually listens to you sometimes."

"You can count on me for sure Sumia." Ricken smiled and nodded at Sumia.

"Thank you…Thank you both so much. I'm sorry to have taken up your time" Sumia said as she backed towards the door.

"It was no bother at all, Milady." Frederick said, holding the door for her.

* * *

Lissa stopped, taking a deep breath before entering her best friend's house. Maribelle's stewards had kept the building so tidy since Frederick passed his experience on to them. Lissa, already feeling anxious, waved off the servants that were attempting to assist her; she had been there plenty a time before and knew where to find Maribelle.

Maribelle was sitting alone in her practice room, playing her prized violin. Lissa entered silently and watched her perform rather than interrupt such a beautiful song. Once she had finished, Lissa began to applaud her friend, walking further into the room to give Maribelle a friendly hug.

"Lissa, darling. I'm so glad you're here; I've been meaning to speak with you." Maribelle exclaimed, getting up and pulling returning the hug.

"Well let me go first! I think what I have to say might be more important."

Maribelle put her violin in a secure position on her seat. "I hardly think so, but go ahead."

"Well, I'm sure you've heard about the invasion in Ferox, right?" Lissa asked, awaiting a response, although Maribelle only nodded and waited to hear more. "Well I want you to come with us to help them."

Maribelle only sighed and said "That's precisely what I wanted to talk to you about…"

Lissa smiled. "Good, so you're coming then?"

"Not quite. Those brutes up in Ferox can well handle themselves; we'd only get in the way; there's really no point in risking our lives for them."

"But Maribelle, everybody needs a little help!" Lissa seemed offended. "Why are you being so selfish all of a sudden?"

Maribelle looked hurt. "My thoughts are by no means selfish. I'm looking out for you darling. Gods know what might happen to you if I'm not around to protect you. Think about Owain, Lissa. What if he never comes into this world because of your carelessness?"

"Owain? What about Brady? If you care about him at all, you need to make sure he'll exist first!"

"That is not your place to speak!"

"It doesn't matter; I can handle myself and there's nothing you can do to stop me from helping those people!"

"Lissa, believe me! I care about their safety as well; I'm only trying to think practically here."

"Well you obviously aren't seeing it as practically as you may think!" Lissa stormed out, Maribelle watching her the entire time. It was so rare for Lissa to be this upset with her. She could do nothing but watch as her friend marched away…possibly for the last time.

* * *

About ten minutes had passed before Maribelle was disturbed from her practice once more. "She's right in here." Maribelle stopped her playing and turned her head to find Olivia standing in the doorway of her practice room.

"Maribelle…um, it's nice to see you again." Olivia averted eye contact with the other girl.

"Olivia," Maribelle seemed surprised to see the dancer, to say the least. "what might you be doing here?"

"Well I…I ran into Lissa just outside… She seemed upset and…well I just don't think you're right Maribelle."

"Olivia! I thought I had taught you how to maintain a conversation like this. Ah well, I know what you mean. Olivia, you know even better than I that the Feroxi Army will not need my help when in battle."

Well…even Ferox needs help when up against this army; I watched Basilio get crushed myself until Lon'qu stepped in…"

Maribelle sighed, standing up and walking closer to Olivia now. "That's another thing; I won't be stepping into your story, Olivia. It's obvious that the two of you have a connection; I'll only stir up confused feelings again."

"But Brady might never be born if you don't do something about it! Besides, I don't want to be with him if it means I won't ever have the Inigo our time."

"Our children taught us that anything can change! We don't need to live up to the expectations of the future that might happen. We need to create our own lives."

Yes, but you taught me to stand up for what I believe in, and I believe that Ferox needs you to help them like you've helped me!" Olivia was holding clenched fists, almost trembling in the heat of the moment.

Maribelle studied her. "So you did learn from my lessons after all."

Olivia looked embarrassed. "Well…I uh…I mean…sorry about that." She unclenched her fists and looked to the ground.

"Don't be sorry for that. Have I truly inspired such bravery in you?"

"Well I suppose so… I kept up with your practices and I think…I think I'm getting better."

Maribelle walked back to her violin, picking it up and beginning to replace it in its case. "Very well. I will accompany you all to Ferox and help in whatever way I can." She turned back to Olivia, who was now maintaining eye contact once again. "I could never rest knowing that two of my closest friends risk death while I sit here practicing." She smiled at Olivia who blushed and smiled back.

"Do you really see us as friends, Maribelle?"

"Of course I do." She responded, walking over to a bookshelf containing a multitude of tomes. "I have plenty of packing to do and far too many goodbyes to give; would you mind informing Lissa that I will be coming with you, and that I will meet you all before we leave.

Olivia only nodded, smiling as she turned around to leave and inform the others.

* * *

**Me: Sorry; I know I took way too long to post this chapter but I was really busy with all kinds of exams and whatnot. So anyways I haven't really gotten into the actual plot much yet; this has all just been dialogue between the already existing characters. However, I do plan to write some different kinds of scenes in my next chapter probably. I plan this will probably be a very long story if I can fit in everything that I want to. But thanks for your reviews, they were helpful.**


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